HIS Retribution & Rue

PART - 3

"I am taking care of myself Dev, don't make it a big issue... Just because I don't take offs doesn't mean I am ignoring myself, I am happy with what I am doing", Shaurya said angering dev

"Happy  ? And you  ? Your wife took your happiness with her, the moment she stepped out of your life, I knew it very well... So stop this happiness sh*t with me at least", Dev said

"Dev, mind that language, you are in the Secretariat", Shaurya warned deliberately ignoring his friend's comment about his wife though hearing that did squeezed his heart.

"Ignore that topic as much as you want, but you and I both know what Akansha means to you and how lost are you without her", Dev said but Shaurya refused to answer that. His friend knew he was suffering but all these years, Shaurya never accepted that he was suffering without his wife, not because he was ashamed to accept that he was crazy for his wife and was completely lost without her, but he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control his pain if his resolve breaks once and Dev knows this.

"Leave all that, tell me how is Rachna  ? And the kids  ?", Shaurya asked, Dev sighed at his friend's dodging but he gave in knowing Shaurya wouldn't want to talk about his wife.

"Yeah they are fine... Kids wanted to see you... But like always, Rachna and I made up some lies... But they are growing up, they will realize soon that we are just making up excuses to hide the truth that their Uncle Shaurya is too busy to meet them", Dev taunted his friend.

"It's not like that...", Shaurya tried to justify but Dev had enough of his friend's excuses to not enjoy his life.

"Two weeks after, It's Rachna's birthday, kids and I have planned a surprise for her, you are coming, or else I'll permanently disown you Shaurya... I am serious this time", Dev said getting up from the chair...

"Dev... Understand... My responsibilities wouldn't let me take an off", Shaurya tried

"It's sunday Shaurya, and you very well knew you could plan the work accordingly, I am not asking you to completely detatch from your work, you could be available on phone and the farmhouse is hardly two hours distance from your office, so stop giving lame excuses, you are coming, I am not hearing anything", Dev said and walked away leaving Shaurya in dilemma.

Dev and his family were the only people he had in the name of family. Rachna was his close friend, he couldn't manage to upset her and the kids. He decided to attend the party but not stay longer.

Dev always wanted to normalise taking holidays even for a chief minister. If everyone else could have a holiday then why can't he? And it's not like it was prohibited or something, even the government suggests it and they could take it but it's Shaurya's personal choice to not take an off. He didn't mind working 7 days a week. He knew he had a demanding job and he was more than okay to devote his time to it, moreover, it's not like he had a wife or kids to devote his time to, like his friend, and he knew now it was too late to think about having a loving wife or kids, as he lost his wife long back and kids? He couldn't even imagine someone else as a mother to his children other than Akansha... The woman he had brutally hurt and broke her heart. 

A few memories surfaced and his heart started beating wildly with regret... he hated his past self for hurting his love... 

"Do you know what your shameless wife has done ?", His mother started as soon as he entered his home... Shaurya was too tired with the strenuous activities he had done that day, he was campaigning for the upcoming election, the whole day he was walking in the scorching sun with hardly any food as he didn't have time for that. Meeting people and knowing their issues took most of his time, there was still more than a year before the election but that didn't mean he would ignore his constituency people, the opposition called it an election campaign but Shaurya knew it wasn't, it was more of an outreach for his people to tell him their problems and all of it tired him to hell. Fatigue was visible on his face but his mother saw nothing in front of her hatred for his wife.